Real Life

Voice Actor

"Samir Duran" and "Emil Narud"[6] are but two of the many names used over the millennia by a xel'naga in service to Amon.[7][8] Millennia after the fall of his master Amon, Duran manipulated the conflict between the terran, protoss, and zerg in order to bring about his master's return and the creation of the hybrid.[9]

"Captain, I am Lieutenant Samir Duran of the Confederate Resistance Forces. I've been monitoring your attack against the Dominion, and I'd like to offer you my services and skills in return for amnesty.""Intriguing. Lieutenant, you have absolutely no idea as to who we are or what we have come here to do. Why do you wish to side with us?""Because my men and I have sworn to fight against the Dominion and its Emperor. Seeing as how your forces have been laying into this Dominion base, I figured we were on the same side."

When the United Earth Directorate launched its first attack against the Dominion on Braxis, Duran monitored the attack before offering his services to Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov. Stukov accepted, but only because both men had the same enemy. Even though Duran had the potential to be a valuable asset, Stukov was nevertheless suspicious. However, Duran won him over, and provided the UED with a route to the 'back door' of Boralis, aiding the invaders in capturing the planet's capital.[14]

"Ah, the turncoat. I suggest that you pay keen attention to rank when you address the Captain and myself, Lieutenant Duran. Is that understood?""Of course, Admiral.""Heh heh. You're beginning to show your age, Gerard. Give the boy some credit. He just tipped us off to a preeminent attack.""However useful he may prove to be, Alexei, he will always be a traitor in my eyes. And you know that I cannot abide a traitor."

The UED sought to steal Dominion battlecruisers dry-docked at the Dylarian Shipyards. During operational planning, Duran warned DuGalle that the Dominion could reinforce its outlying bases within sixteen hours.[17] The stolen battlecruiser fleet was ready in time to defeat Dominion reinforcements led by General Edmund Duke.[15]

Duran accompanied the UED fleet to Tarsonis. His research team located the psi disrupter, a lost Confederate weapon capable of disrupting zerg communication.[18] Duran advised that it be destroyed, and DuGalle concurred; if it was captured by the Dominion, it would jeopardize the UED's plan to enslave the Second Overmind. Stukov's dissenting opinion, to use the disrupter against the zerg, was overruled.[19]

As Duran had shown such concern over the matter, DuGalle ordered him to personally secure the disrupter. Duran's strategy of destroying surrounding hives to render surrounding the zerg dormant was successful. Duran's preparations to demolish the disrupter were interrupted by the intervention of Stukov's ghosts, who had orders to relieve Duran and take over the weapon's disassembly. Duran did not challenge them.[18]

Duran participated in planning the UED assault on Korhal, the Dominion throne world. He suggested destroying a large cluster of missile silos on the outskirts of Augustgrad, the capital city, to disable the defender's core nuclear capabilities.[20] The UED subsequently captured Augustgrad. Mengsk escaped capture with the aid of Raynor's Raiders and a small protoss fleet.[21]

"Gerard... old friend. You do indeed have a traitor in your midst... but it's not me. Duran. He has been playing us both from the start... He convinced you to destroy the Psi Disrupter... even though it was our best chance at defeating the Zerg. And then, on Aiur, ...he allowed the Zerg to overrun us even as we had the fugitives in our grasp. I came here... to activate the one hope we have of defeating them... And you killed me for it. Heh, heh... Duran is your enemy Gerard. I suspect... that he may even be infested as well..."

The UED pursued Mengsk and his rescuers to Aiur, where the fugitives prepared to escape through the warp gate. The UED's quarry were entrenched in a large protoss base, surrounded by nesting, but apparently passive, zerg.

While one UED force struck for the gate and the fugitives, Stukov and Duran were assigned to guard the flanks and prevent potential interference by the zerg. As the main attack neared its objective, the warp gate activated and incited the zerg. Duran's forces were out of position as a large zerg force swept in from the northeast. He claimed not to detect the enemy force, and claimed communications difficulties prevented him from receiving Stukov's frantic warnings. The ensuing chaos allowed Mengsk and Commander Jim Raynor to escape through the gate in a dropship. The gate subsequently self-destructed.[22]

Stukov took an unauthorized leave of absence to Braxis as the operation on Aiur concluded. DuGalle and Duran tracked him there and found the vice-admiral had secretly had the psi disrupter reassembled, in contravention of previous orders. Duran convinced DuGalle that Stukov was acting treacherously, and was authorized by the aggrieved admiral to find and execute the vice admiral.[23] Duran and a marine strike force entered the disruptor and broke through the Stukov's Elite Guard to confront Stukov.[24]

Duran shot Stukov and disappeared to activate the disruptor's self-destruct. A dying Stukov convinced DuGalle that the psi disruptor was critical to defeating the zerg and that Duran was the real traitor, and possibly infested.[25] So alerted, the UED quickly shut down the self-destruct.[24]

Duran escaped to join the zerg. The UED used the disrupter to severely weaken the zerg and claim the second Overmind on Char. As the UED claimed victory, Duran appeared to introduce DuGalle to Sarah Kerrigan. After some verbal sparring with DuGalle, the two departed, as a swarm of mutalisks covered their retreat from the UED forces.[10]

Kerrigan and Duran traveled to Tarsonis, where Duran interrupted a conversation between her, Raynor, and Fenix to inform Kerrigan that the psi disrupter's signal had reached them on Tarsonis and shattered the unity of her broods.[26]

Aboard the Hyperion, in orbit around Moria, Duran and Kerrigan discussed whether Raynor, Fenix, and Mengsk suspected them of anything. Kerrigan said they must suspect something, but preferred working with her rather than with the UED.[27]

The Swarm traveled to Korhal and assaulted the UED forces there along with Raynor's Raiders and Fenix's troops. After the main UED base was destroyed, Kerrigan decided to eradicate her allies. Duran suggested the strategy of attacking while her allies were resting, allowing them to whittle down their defenses with relative ease. The ploy was successful. After the destruction of Duke's and Fenix's bases, they returned to Tarsonis to rest.[28]

Two days later, the UED, intent on forcing Kerrigan's hand, tested out their control of the Overmind by sending hundreds of zerg to Tarsonis. As they began attacking their outposts, Duran informed her of the situation and rallied her forces.[29] Kerrigan's forces secured their perimeter when Duran noticed a small UED encampment which protected a number of scientists. Kerrigan said the "scientists" were helping the UED command these Renegade Zerg at such a great distance from the Overmind; they had to be eliminated. Kerrigan's zerg took the fight to the UED Slave Brood hive clusters and the scientists, destroying them.[30]

Duran then accompanied Kerrigan to Shakuras to kidnap Raszagal. Kerrigan did not reveal her interest in Raszagal to Duran, however. Duran informed her that the pylon clusters were generating some sort of electromagnetic field that prevented their flyers from maneuvering. Duran suggested staging a diversion and claiming Raszagal during the confusion, namely causing a surge within the pylon clusters adjacent to the outpost of Talematros, causing its power grids to overload. The resulting explosion will be the perfect cover for retrieving Raszagal. Kerrigan agreed, calling Duran's scheme "Clean, simple, devious." A cerebrate provided cover for Duran as he infiltrated the pylon clusters, set the charges, and ignited them.[31]

Duran soon discovered that Raszagal was captured so as to provide DarkPrelateZeratul and his brethren the incentive to kill the new Overmind for them.[32] After this was done, Duran informed Kerrigan that with the Overmind and its cerebrates destroyed, all of the zerg in the sector had reverted to her direct control.[33] In addition, the remnants of the UED fleet had fled the planet (although he had no idea how many functional ships they still possessed), and the zerg had finished relocating Kerrigan's primary hive clusters to Char Aleph. However, Zeratul and his brethren were able to bypass their defenses and steal Raszagal away from them. They had regrouped with a number of protoss survivors on the surface of Char and would be capable of dimensional recall to Shakuras within thirty minutes. Kerrigan had all of her broods mobilized and sent to the surface of Char.[34] During this time, Duran had disappeared.[35]

"This creature is the completion of a cycle. Its role in the cosmic order was preordained when the stars were young. Behold the culmination of your history.""All I behold is an abomination.""Your violence, young prodigal, is typical. As is your inablility to comprehend the greater scheme of things. You can destroy all of the specimens here. It will do you no good. For I have seeded the Hybrid on many, many worlds. You will never find them all before they awaken... And when they do... your universe will be changed... forever."

Duran would refer to the hybrid as the "completion of a cycle,[7] a reference to the life cycle of the xel'naga, in which the long-lived but not immortal race would regenerate itself by modifying two species with purity of form and essence to naturally over eons evolve into a new incarnation of the xel'naga. According to the preserverZamara, however, Samir Duran's experiments are a "perversion", and if his attempts "unify" the species become successful, it will result in "a monstrous and powerful perversion of both protoss and zerg will be set loose upon the universe, and all that [the protoss and terran] know and cherish will fall in their wake".[36]

Zeratul discovered the project when investigating the source of protoss energy signatures on the dark moon.[7] Duran himself uncloaked in front of a stasis cell holding a successful specimen and spoke to Zeratul.[37] From the manner in which Duran replied to Zeratul, claiming to be many millennia old (and having had many names over these millennia) and serving "a far greater power", Duran's background became even more enigmatic. Duran, referring to the hybrid, said it was a "completion of a cycle. Its role in the cosmic order was preordained when the stars were young".[7]

Narud built Skygeirr Station on top of a xel'naga temple.[42] There, more hybrids were created with Dominion support. Narud devised a plan to modify a xel'naga relic named the Keystone that could convert the zerg mutagen in Sarah Kerrigan and her Swarms into energy, providing enough power to resurrect Amon.[43][44]

Alexei Stukov was infested and reanimated, and eventually deinfested and rescued by Jim Raynor and the protoss.[45] Stukov held Narud responsible for his infestation,[9] which was spun on a micro scale not possible for the zerg.[46][47]

The two designed Space Station Prometheus, a secret research laboratory in the difficult-to-navigate Kirkegaard Belt. While there, Narud worked on hybridization experiments. He let Valerian know about them, but not about how far they had progressed.[51]

"Commander Raynor! Thanks the stars, you've come! You had a sterling reputation as a Marshal many years ago and I know you'll do your best to help us.""Yeah well, that was all a long time ago, Doctor. Looks like you got one heck of a zerg problem here. Where do you need us?"

When Kerrigan attacked the Foundation's main research campus on Tyrador VIII, Narud sent three Moebius Security teams to purge the Foundation's data cores. When none of them reported back, he asked Commander Jim Raynor to destroy the cores. He warned that if Kerrigan found them and discovered the coordinates of the remaining pieces of the xel'naga artifact, the fate of the entire Koprulu sector could hang in the balance. He gave Raynor control of the Foundation's medivac dropships to transport his men around the city and avoid most of the zerg. Kerrigan claimed that she saw through Narud's "pathetic charade." Once it was confirmed that the final data core had been destroyed, Narud ordered an evacuation and told Raynor why Kerrigan wanted the artifacts: she feared the power of the xel'naga.[58]

In a statement, Narud credited Raynor's Raiders with keeping Kerrigan from achieving her goal. He was unavailable for comment when the Universal News Network broadcast its report on his run-in with Kerrigan.[59]

The first phase of the war ended with Kerrigan's defeat and de-infestation at Char due to the device's effects.[60]Hybrid located nearby collected the energy which could be later used to resurrect Amon.[43][44]

Dr. Narud appeared at a meeting with the rebels there. When he wanted to begin examining Kerrigan, Raynor told him that Kerrigan was refusing to be examined. They were interrupted when criminals tried to capture them. Dr. Narud pulled a small pistol. During the battle, rebel commander Matt Horner was injured. Dr. Narud helped treat him.

Dr. Narud and the rebels took Kerrigan to Space Station Prometheus, where Narud was situated. Along the way, his repeated attempts to examine Kerrigan and hide information about the space station annoyed the rebels. Valerian Mengsk even told Narud that he wasn't popular in his sickbay or bridge. In addition, Kerrigan believed his psionic resonance was familiar, but didn't recognize Narud, causing her to wonder if he was disguised.

A frustrated Narud ordered a hostile reception for the rebels, but Valerian talked him down. Kerrigan went to the station's sickbay, where her blood was tested but nothing else was done to her. The xel'naga artifact was also brought the station, where Dr. Narud examined it.

Narud assigned repair teams to theirships and invited the pair to dinner, although these teams were really out to sabotage the vessels. In addition, he had Dr. Chantal de Vries "persuade" rebel scientist Egon Stetmann to visit his laboratories, but it simply enabled Narud's men to capture him.

He invited Raynor and Valerian to a dinner meeting, where he questioned Raynor so thoroughly the latter felt annoyed, as if he were being interrogated. The dinner turned into an ambush, as Narud was revealed to be in contact with Arcturus. In the resulting skirmish, Narud cloaked and fled.

The ambush failed in a sense, in that Kerrigan and her protectors were able to escape Mengsk's grasp and rescue Stetmann, even when Narud released a trio of his hybrids against them. Narud took the artifact to the station's loading bay and put it aboard a warp-transport when Raynor, Valerian, Stetmann and Kerrigan arrived there. One of the hybrids was present, along with many of Narud's troops, and during the battle Narud abandoned the station with the artifact. At the last minute, the Raiders dropshipFanfare, newly armed, arrived. It fired on Narud's transport, but he managed to escape.[51]

In the final stages of the Second Great War, Kerrigan led the Swarm against Skygeirr, having been requested there by an escaped Alexei Stukov. When she entered Narud's lab and killed one of his hybrid dominators, Narud told her she was not welcome there. He then proceeded to awaken seven other hybrids, telling them to fulfill their purpose and kill everything. He prattled that the Swarm had served its purpose and was a broken tool fit only for the scrap heap. He asked Kerrigan if she could feel the hybrid's hatred coursing through her mind. Although Narud was surprised that Kerrigan managed to kill several of his hybrid, he told her that she still had no hope.[9]

Narud held his best troops, the Tal'darim, in reserve in the depths of the station. When Kerrigan breached the sanctum, Narud drove a null zone beam towards her, which she tried to hold back with a beam of her own. He ordered the Tal'darim to destroy the zerg hive, and unleashed numerous hybrid to support the Tal'darim. Narud's strength began to slip as Stukov deactivated the five temples that were amplifying his power. The null zone left him weakened and vulnerable.[42] As Kerrigan entered Amon's temple, Narud caught her off guard by appearing as Raynor. In the middle of their fight, Narud changed his appearance to that of Kerrigan's human form and impaled her on a psi blade. In response, Kerrigan fatally wounded Narud with her wings. With his dying breath, Narud revealed that Amon was alive and that she would see him soon.[62]

After Skygeirr, Narud returned to the Void, where he served as the jailer of the xel'naga Ouros. Later, when Kerrigan, Raynor, Stukov, and HierarchArtanis led a joint invasion into the Void to seek out and destroy Amon, they came upon Narud. Despite resistance from void shades and thrashers, the allied forces pushed through Narud's defenses and cornered him. Stukov stepped forward and asked Narud if he remembered him, calling him "Duran". When Narud assumed that Stukov was there to gloat, Stukov simply said, "No. I've come to say goodnight, you son of a bitch." He then destroyed Narud/Duran with a psychic blast, finally exacting revenge for their confrontation on Braxis six years ago. This time, Narud's death was permanent.[8]

Duran considered himself superior to other beings as he manipulated them to his own ends.[64] He has let this condescension shine through when not masking his own nature.[7][9][42] This low opinion of other lifeforms extended to the zerg as a whole, regarding them as "a broken tool, fit only for the scrap heap."[9]

As Duran he spoke with a "liquid" accent and favored the C-10 rifle in combat.[16]

While masquerading as an adviser to DuGalle and later Kerrigan, Duran presented the facade of being dutiful and loyal, frequently offering information and suggests for plans of attack. His knowledge of tactics made him invaluable in the campaigns of both commanders.[26] As Narud, he was also apt at displaying earnest humility to those around him when he needed to.[58][51]

Duran was a powerful and vastly intelligent being. He was knowledgeable about the zerg,[18] and protoss technology.[66][7] He was powerful enough to generate a null zone, survive being hit by it,[42] generate psionic bolts, and survive all manner of psionic and physical attacks before finally succumbing to his injuries at the hands of Kerrigan, only to later have survived and retreat to the void. He also demonstrated the ability to generate a psi-blade without any apparent technological device to focus the energy. He also possessed shapeshifting abilities.[62]

In Wings of Liberty Kerrigan claimed to have seen through Doctor Emil Narud's "pathetic charade".[58] Narud spelled backward is Duran.[68]

It was hinted that Duran would appear in Heart of the Swarm.[69] Unused subtitles had Stukov referring to Narud as Duran.[70] At BlizzCon 2011, the story panel said that Samir Duran and Emil Narud might be the same character. Upon inquiring on whether he would appear in Heart of the Swarm, Chris Metzen commented "You might have met him already. You totally did, by the way."[71]

When exploring how to portray Narud in the cinematic "Shifting Perspectives," the cinematic team explored what it would look like to show Narud's true xel'naga form. Hybrid-like concepts were designed. As development went on, it felt more thematically appropriate to the team to show Narud shapeshifting in his battle against Kerrigan. In the end, it was decided to have Narud take the form of Kerrigan to symbolize her killing her old self.[72]

↑Samir Duran: "Captain, I am Lieutenant Samir Duran of the Confederate Resistance Forces. I've been monitoring your attack against the Dominion, and I'd like to offer you my services and skills in return for amnesty."Alexei Stukov: "Intriguing. Lieutenant, you have absolutely no idea as to who we are or what we have come here to do. Why do you wish to side with us?"Duran: "Because my men and I have sworn to fight against the Dominion and its Emperor. Seeing as how your forces have been laying into this Dominion base, I figured we were on the same side."Stukov: "I see. How exactly do you propose to be of service to us, Lieutenant?"Duran: "Well, I possess intimate knowledge of the surrounding area. I can show you an alternate route that leads to the rear of the main Dominion base."Stukov: "Very well, Lieutenant. Consider yourself and your men the first colonial conscripts of the United Earth Directorate. Captain, see that the Lieutenant is given our full cooperation. We shall see if he's worth the effort." StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Level/area: First Strike (in English). 1998.

↑Duran: "Gentlemen, I recommend that you launch this attack using the utmost caution. Dominion Command can typically reinforce its outlying bases within sixteen standard hours. You should expect some sort of reprisal from Emperor Mengsk shortly."Gerard DuGalle: "Ah, the turncoat. I suggest that you pay keen attention to rank when you address the Captain and myself, Lieutenant Duran. Is that understood?"Duran: "Of course, Admiral."Stukov: "Heh heh. You're beginning to show your age, Gerard. Give the boy some credit. He just tipped us off to a preeminent attack."DuGalle: "However useful he may prove to be, Alexei, he will always be a traitor in my eyes. And you know that I cannot abide a traitor."Stukov: "Only too well, Gerard." StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Level/area: The Dylarian Shipyards (in English). 1998.

↑Duran: "I must humbly suggest to you, Admiral, that the Disrupter be destroyed as quickly as possible. If it should fall into the hands of the Dominion we could face some very serious problems."DuGalle: "Hmm. A prudent call, Lieutenant. I am inclined to agree."Stukov: "But Admiral, this device could insure our victory over the Zerg! It is foolhardy to discard such an advantage!"Duran: "Surely, Vice Admiral, you don't doubt the tenacity of your own fleet? Your Directorate forces will devastate the Zerg without the need for such a device."Stukov: "Listen here, Lieutenant, I've had just about enough of your-"DuGalle: "This conversation is over, Alexei. Given the true nature of our mission to enslave the Overmind, we could hardly stand to have Mengsk control a device of this magnitude. This Psi Disrupter must be destroyed in order to safeguard our mission. Ensign, set your course for Tarsonis." StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Ruins of Tarsonis (in English). 1998.

↑Adjutant: "Vice Admiral Stukov took control of a large contingent of troops and came here to the planet Braxis."DuGalle: "Why would he abandon the battle on Aiur? Why has he come back to Braxis?"Duran: "I mean no offense, Admiral. But perhaps Stukov's loyalties are not as strong as you once believed."DuGalle: "Because you are young and foolish, Lieutenant, I will pardon that insult. Alexei and I have been friends since long before you were born. However, he must be found. If Stukov is here, he will account for his actions."Adjutant: "Admiral, our sensors have detected a fully functional Psi Disrupter on the planet's surface directly below our position. It would appear that the Vice Admiral did not destroy the Psi Disrupter on Tarsonis as was ordered."DuGalle: "What? Impossible!"Duran: "I warned you Admiral! Stukov has betrayed you! He's reconstructed the Psi Disrupter in order to sabotage your mission in this sector!"DuGalle: "I can't believe it. Yet the evidence is incontrovertible. Alexei, what have you done? Perhaps you've been right all along, Lieutenant. On my authority, enter the Psi Disrupter... and... deal with the Vice Admiral appropriately..."Duran: "Of course, Admiral." StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Patriot's Blood (in English). 1998.

↑Duran: "Vice Admiral Stukov, I am here under orders to terminate your command."Stukov: "Lieutenant Duran. I'm not surprised. We both know exactly what it is that you're here to terminate. Get on with it."Duran: "Say goodnight, Stukov."Stukov: "To hell with y- !"DuGalle: "Lieutenant Duran, report your situation immediately!"Stukov: "Gerard... old friend. You do indeed have a traitor in your midst... but it's not me. Duran. He has been playing us both from the start... He convinced you to destroy the Psi Disrupter... even though it was our best chance at defeating the Zerg. And then, on Aiur, ...he allowed the Zerg to overrun us even as we had the fugitives in our grasp. I came here... to activate the one hope we have of defeating them... And you killed me for it. Heh, heh... Duran is your enemy Gerard. I suspect... that he may even be infested as well... Use the Disrupter, Gerard... Finish our operation... Let my death have at least some meaning."DuGalle: "Alexei! No! What have I done? What have I done? Computer, where the hell is Lieutenant Duran?"Adjutant: "The Lieutenant no longer registers on my sensors, Admiral. He appears to have vanished."DuGalle: "No." StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Patriot's Blood (in English). 1998.

↑Duran: "My Queen, we have located a small Terran facility towards the rear of the Renegades' landing zone. There appears to be a number of UED scientists working within the compound, but we are unable to determine the purpose of their presence..."Sarah Kerrigan: "I know what they're up to. I suspected that the UED's control of the Overmind was tenuous. Tarsonis is too remote for them to maintain direct control over the Swarms, so they've sent these 'scientists' to coordinate their attack."Duran: "Cerebrate, focus your attacks against the Terran facility. All of the UED scientists must be killed. Only then will we be able to finish off these Renegade Zerg." StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Fury of the Swarm (in English). 1998.